Norway 4 -- Tromso

Well, we were roused from bed for good reason.  The Aurora was quite good.  Pictures do not do it justice, but we saw green and in some places purple also.  They didn't quite dance, but certainly moved around.  Although there was some high cloud, it was a good show.

Today we were introduced to the Sami culture.  Tromso is the gateway to the Arctic and it was interesting to walk around this university city.  It was more modern than we anticipated with a downtown much like all the other towns.  There are many new bridges that connect the islands and the mainland on the coast.  Oil money put to use.

We visited a local art gallery and the Polar museum which focuses on Arctic exploration, something the Norwegians did very well.  Amudsen is the local hero.  And then there was Henry Rudi -- the 'polar bear king', having killed 713 of them in his life.  Also of note was Wanny Woldstad who was the first female taxi driver in Tromso and then went on to become the first woman hunter on Svalbard.

Of interest is also that we are carrying more passengers who just are going from one small village here to another.  Many don't take overnight cabins.  This ship is more like a ferry service for them.  That's great to know it isn't just for us tourists.

Items of interest today:  a submarine just cutting the surface along the waterway between the coast and the outer islands, and an oil rig in the protected area for maintenance.

Every day seems to bring something special!